I have been knitting and involved with fiber since I was 10 years old. My fascination with fiber, textures, color, and color combinations began with my first project — a hat of many colors created for my sister.

During my more than 30 years as a designer, I often spun and hand dyed many of the yarns used in my woven and knitted pieces. For many years I had my own company, Leslie Friedman Designs, which specialized in sweaters, scarves, and shawls for either the spring/summer or fall/winter seasons.

While I don’t have as much time to spin and dye these days, I continue to work as a home-based studio artist. I believe that the yarn should tell the story without additional embellishments or fancy stitches. For me, the ongoing appeal of creating knitwear is the combination of visual allure that emerges from the interplay of color with texture and the tactile pleasure experienced when a yarn feels good in your hands and next to your skin.

My work has been sold at boutiques in the tri-state area as well as in New York, San Francisco, and Atlanta.

Awards:
1991 – University Museum, Philadelphia, PA
1990 – Philadelphia Guild of Handweavers – Best Use of Handspun and Hand-dyed Yarn
1986 – Philadelphia Guild of Handweavers – Fiber Arts

Exhibits:
Art New York, New York, NY (now closed)
Cosmopolitan Club, Philadelphia, PA
Langman Gallery, Willow Grove, PA
Main Line Center of the Arts, Haverford, PA
Raiford Gallery, Roswell, GA
"Sweaters of the 21st Century"—Turtledove, Philadelphia, PA (now closed)
Whimsical Wares, Marietta, GA

Leslie Friedman Designs

Hand-woven Wearable Art

Phone: 610-664-6234

lrifkin518@comcast.net